It still remains true that employers hire people they know! Most often they are known from a previous connection, referral from someone they trust or simply people they get to know throughout the hiring and interview process. The largest amount of successful hiring continues comes from the former two sources.Decision makers are those people that have the power to hire you. You know, the people that walk into the HR office and asks them to find someone with as certain set of skills to meet the needs of their team and clients. They are also the ones that walk into a staff meeting and ask, “Does anyone know someone?” In addition, these managers are always aware of their current and future human capital needs and are on the lookout for people that stand out and for emerging talent. Some even attend events with the sole purpose of finding someone to add to meet the staffing needs of their business. I personally have found this strategy quite rewarding.

“How can a job seeker connect with these people you ask?” Good question! Here are a few things you can do to meet these people and go from the “best kept secret to a person of interest!”

1. Attend Events Off-Campus – After realization sets in, most students create networking plans that include meeting companies and recruiters as they come to campus for events and then trying to leverage those contacts for employment. Although a worthy strategy, it is difficult to have success along with the other hundreds of students in the Classes of 2016, 2017 and 2018 who area all clamouring for the attention of a few companies reps. The amount of students that land employment through these companies is relatively low in comparison to the entire student body who will land work through other means. In fact, the results are 10-20% at best. Should networking be discarded then….ok, hold on…don’t’ get carried away! You should see what else is going on in your city and begin connecting with the population and intentionally network. Some sources are: Meetup.com, BIV Datebook, networkinginvan.com, eventbrite.ca, smallbusinessbc.ca, boardoftrade.com, bcbusiness.ca. The event does not have to be in your field to be worthwhile. Go to an event that interests you, or has companies or professionals that intrigue you or simply to learn more about a certain field in the labour market. Decision makers will be there and/or their staff!
2. Consider attending and/or joining an association – many groups of people gather to discuss areas of mutual business interest at association gatherings. There are a few ways to check out an association gathering before deciding you would like to join and pay membership fees. You can request to attend as a student doing market research. You can request to attend as a person considering joining. You can attend with someone from your network as their guest. And, you can pay as a non-member attending the event at a cost slightly higher than members pay. If you do decide to join there may even be a reduced student membership opportunity. To locate these associations you can check out: Canadian Almanac & Directory and Associations Canada using the online resources of you’re the Vancouver Public Library. You can also “Google it!”
3. Be prepared to meet people – Having your business cards at the ready and a carefully planned introduction can go a long way to creating connections that will result in eventual employment connections. Active networking simply creates opportunities! To create an introduction and/or a value statement check out the Sauder Career Success Cycle accessible through Connect. Some good sources for business cards are the DAP Student Club and also vistaprint.ca. Then plan your lay out you can use resources like “Work the Pond”, by Darcy Rezac or “What Color is Your Parachute”, by Richard Bolles. These resources also give tips on how to record your connections and perform effective follow up.
4. Follow Up – If you don’t follow up you will have little or no results from all your efforts. Protect your investment of time by reaching out and making a second contact. A simple email mentioning you enjoyed meeting them and appreciated their insights, advice or encouragement can open to door for further conversations. Remembering a person’s passion and sending them a news article or current event item that appeals to them can engage them in a meaningful way without asking for anything. This kind of follow up creates, builds and maintains relationships. The second and third contacts with people are where relationships are built and where trust is nurtured. During follow-up you can learn more about people’s careers, industries, pathways to career success, other network contacts through referrals, obtain information interviews, identify employment opportunities, find a mentor and pursue your next career move.

The efforts the universities and their various faculties make are appreciated, but were never meant to represent your entire networking strategy. You have to expand your search to “parts unknown!”

Good luck,

Russell Garrett is the Owner of Protocol Business Solutions, a Certified Career Consultant and your DAP Career Coach. Watch for the Career Workshop Series beginning in January 19th which will be posted on COOL. Russell is also available for online coaching appointments. For an online appointment email Russell at dapcareersupport@sauder.ubc.ca.